Trapdoor for smoke eduction

ABSTRACT

The trap-door comprises a wall provided with a communication opening edged by a rabbet in which is included a frame, at least lower side thereof being inclined downwards to delimit a sliding plane for a framing surrounding a panel maintained by at least one lock.

I United States Patent [191 [111 3,818,816

Petit June 25, 1974 TRAPDOOR FOR SMOKE EDUCTION 609,278 8/1898 Kane98/86 x [75] Inventor: Jean-Louis Petit, Sarcelles, France 2213 gflggg[73] Assignefi production Essemes SA, Pia-refine, 2,564,971 8/1951Harding 48/43 France 2,604,675 7/1952 Seaman 49/463 X [22] 1 Filed: Aug.21, 1972 Primary Examiner-William F. ODea [211 App]' 282034 AssistantExaminer-Peter D. Ferguson Attorney, Agent, or F irn 1-Dwight H. Smileylmirie {30] Foreign Application Priority Data and Smiley Aug. 31, 1971France 71.31539 [57] ABSTRACT [52] 11.8. CI 98/43, 49/1, 49/141,

98/86 The trap-door comprises a wall provided with a com- [5 s i .l imunication pening edged a r abbet in is in [58] Field of Search 49/1, 7,8, 141, 463, 465; cluded a frame, at least lower side thereof being in-98/40 VT, 43, 43 A, 43 P5, 43 86 clined downwards to delimit a slidingplane for a framing surrounding a panel maintained by at least one [56]References Cited lock UNlTED STATES PATENTS 282,822 8/l883 Willard 98/8611 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUNE 5 I974 SHEET 2 BF 4 Pmlimmwm7 31818.816

SHEETv 3 OF 4 TRAPDOOR FOR SMOKE EDUCTION The present invention relatesto a trap-door providing eduction of the smoke caused by a fire on oneof the floors of a building. Said trap-door can be remote controlled tomake possible the approach of a seat of a fire in the most advantageousconditions to provide putting out of said fire and fast evacuation ofpeople.

Because of the design of the trap-door, the trap-door of the inventionis of an extremely accurate operation, even if it is submitted to a highraise in temperature.

According to the invention, the trap-door for smoke eduction in variousbuildings comprising an eduction passage having to be selectively put incommunication with upper portion of each of successive dwelling floorsof a building is characterized by a wall which is provided forinsulating the eduction passage from each floor of the building, saidwall having a communication opening flanged by a deep rabbet openingtowards each dwelling floor and in which is included a substantiallyrectangular metallic frame, said frame'having at least lower sidethereof which is inclined towards said dwelling floor to delimit asliding plane for a metallic framing of a complementary shapeperipherically surrounding an insulating panel having a framing which ismaintained against said frame by at least one lock.

Various other characteristics of the invention are moreover revealedfrom the following detailed description.

Embodiments of the invention are shown by way of none restrictiveexamples in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a construction building embodying trap-doors forsmoke eduction according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the trap-door of the invention. FIG. 3 is anenlarged transverse sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of a detail of embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, of a variant ofembodiment.

FIG. 7 is a partial front view illustrating another detail ofembodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a building comprising various floors A, B N, all of themcommunicating with the outside through fresh air delivering inlets Inormally designed close to the floor. Besides, openings 2 are designedon each floor to run into a common passage 3, the same being possiblyprovided, as represented, with a device 4 for drawing up air in a viewof establishing a permanent upwards circulation from the base of thepassage 3 which may be provided with an opening 5. The openings 2 aredesigned close to the ceiling of each floor and said openings arenormally closed by trap-doors 7, the same having the possibility to beselectively remote controlled to provide eduction of the smokes if afire breaks out on one of the floors as diagrammatically shownconcerning a floor F. The trap-doors 7 of the floors which have not beenreached by the fire must remain closed to avoid any spreading of hot gasand smoke which could cause occurrence of other seats of fire, thusconstituting an inconvenience for the people having the responsibilityto fight against the fire.

FIGS. 2 to 5 show how are realized the trap-doors 7. First of all, thepassage 3 which is utilized for the smoke eduction is separated from thedwellings by a wall 8 able to resist to a fire, for example a wall madeof concrete. The openings 2 are made into said wall wherein isdelimited, to flange said openings 2, a peripheric groove or rabbet 9opening towards the inside of the rooms of the construction building.

The groove 9 is utilized for placing a frame 10, preferably made ofmetal and which is constituted, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 by two similarvertical uprights 11 and 12 substantially delimiting a right-angledtrapezium. The front sides of the iron uprights l1 and 12 are forming asimilar angle to delimit a widened passage converging towards theopening 2. The vertical uprights 11 and 12 are connected by a lowercross-piece l3 and an upper cross-piece 14, both constituted by metalparts in the shape of right-angled trapezium.

However, as best shown in FIG. 3, the side 13a of the cross-piece I3 isconverging towards the opening 2, while the side 14a of the cross-piece14 has an opposite slope and extends according to a slope which issmaller than that of the side 13a of the cross-piece 13. The frame 10 isdesigned to be entirely inserted into the groove 9 and said frame isfixed to the wall 8, for instance by means of anchoring-irons 15.

As shown in the drawings, the width of the frame 10 is smaller than thedepth of the groove 9, and blocks 16 made of insulating material andresisting to the fire are inserted between the frame and! the bottom ofthe groove. Said blocks 16 can for example be made of asbestosagglomerate or other similar material.

The trap-door itself is constituted by a panel 17 comprising facingplates 18 and 19, the latter one at least being made of insulating andheat-resisting material. The facing plates are surrounding a web 20which is possibly made of calcined rock, al'veolate concrete, ceramicfiber or other similar material. The periphery of the panel 17 isenclosed into a metal framing 21, the shape of which being exactly acomplement to the shape of the opening which is let free by the frame10.

In a view of suitably enclosing the panel 17, the framing 21 compriseslateral flanged edges 22 and 23. The height of the flanged edge 22 isselected for completely including the same into the groove 9, thus ajoint 24 made of soft insulating material can be placed between theblocks 16 and the facing plate 19 by directly bearing on said plate.Thus is avoided a heat bridge which could be constituted by the framing21. Besides, and as shown in the drawings, the framing 21 manages withthe frame 10 a ring-like space 25 in which is placed a continuous joint26, the same being also made of soft insulating and heat resistingmaterial.

As shown in FIG. 3 and due to the slope of the sides 13a and 14a of thecross-pieces l3 and I4 delimiting a passage which becomes narrowertowards the opening 2, it is possible to insert the panel 17 tocompressthe joint 26 on the whole length thereof. Actually, the uprights11 of the frame 10 and the front sides of the framing 21 also delimit aconvergent passage, thus a thrust applied according to the direction ofarrow on the panel 17 evenly compresses the joint 26 and thus ensures atight closing. Since on the other hand the slope of the side 13a of thecross-piece 13 is more accentuated than that of the side 14a of thecross-piece 14, then if the panel 17 is not maintained, it can slide,

substantially in the direction shown by arrow f and consequently clearout the opening 2 to put in communication the dwelling floor comprisingthe trap-door with the smoke eduction passage 3. The panel 17 isnormally maintained by locks 27, 28 (FIG. 2) which are, for example,placed on the uprights 11, 12 close to the lower portion of the same. Itis also possible to place the locks inside the cross-piece 13 of theframe so that the same be entirely hidden from the sight. The locks 27,28 can be, for example, constituted as shown in FIG. 5, that is by meansof an electro-magnet 29, the core 30 thereof directly controlling a bolt31, the end of which being introduced into a blot-clasp 32 carried bythe panel 17.

When the electro-magnet of each lock is controlled, the bolt 31 isreleased from the bolt-clasp thereof and the panel, which is notmaintained any longer close to the lower portion thereof, slides throughgravity in the direction shown by arrow f To still increase the safetyof use, it is possible to manufacture the bolt-clasp 32 and/or the bolt31 of a material melting at a relatively low temperature thus providingthe panel to clear the opening 2 even, if for any reason, theelectro-magnets controlling the locks have not been operated.

Though being not generally required, it can be deemed advantageous thatthe panel 17 had not the possibility to fall brutally. For that purpose,said panel can be insidely provided with a boring 33, inside of which isplaced a slowing down device 34 which may be constituted by a smallpiston connected by a cable 35 to the cross-piece 14 of the frame 10. Itis to be noticed from FIG. 3 that the cable 35 runs through a hole 36designed in the upper cross-piece of the framing, said small holeforming, in some way, a limiting device for the flow of air sent outthrough the piston 34 and providing a slow down of the panel of whichthe fall onto the ground is prevented by the piston 34 when the samecomes to a stop with said upper cross-piece of the framing 21.

According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the frame 10 isshaped as shown in the drawings to take the shape of the groove 9 ofwall 8, said groove delimiting, at the lower portion of the opening 2,an inclined edge 37; the other edges, comprising the upper edge 90 (FIG.6) and the two lateral edges 9b (FIG. 7) extending, for example asshown, at right angle with re spect to the sides of wall 8.

The frame 10 delimits a housing at the upper portion of the lowerinclined edge 37, said housing 38 being lined up with the bottom of thegroove of the other sides for positioning, all around the groove, blocks16 made of insulating material and advantageously fixed through glueing.The block being directed towards the opening of the groove is providedwith a slot for maintaining the joint 24 made of soft insulatingmaterial, the same being advantageously maintained by a strip 39 made ofstainless steel or similar material, the ends of said strip beinginserted between the two blocks 16 as shown in dotted line in thedrawings.

The panel 17 constituting the trap-door is made in a similar way asexplained in the above disclosure by means of facing plates 18a and 190made of insulating and heat-resisting material, and said plates are cutat the periphery thereof to show a shape corresponding to the shape ofthe space delimited by frame 10.

The two panels 18a, are connected together by a framing 21a fixed on thepanel 18a by screws and nuts 40, said framing encasing the rear edge 22aof the panel 19a. The space delimited between the two panels is filledup with an appropriate material, for example a complex of plaster andinorganic fibers.

The panel 17 is provided at the upper portion thereof with at least onefinger 41 designed to be engaged behind a stop 42 of the frame 10 uponpositioning the panel, the same being then maintained by bolts 43controlled by one or various electro-magnets 28a placed into one orvarious housings 44 designed into the wall 8 behind the lower portion ofthe frame 10.

One or various corresponding bolt-Clasps 45 are of course designed intothe front portion of the panel 17.

FIG. 7 shows that the lateral sides 17a of the panel 17 delimit, withthe corresponding edge of the frame 10, a space 46 of which the bottomis constituted by the blocks 16.

A square iron 47 is fixed at the upper portion of each side 17a of thepanel 17 and said square iron is provided, in the arm 47a thereof, witha hole 48 for passage of a rod 49. Said rod is articulated, by means ofan eyelet 50 extending the same, on a spindle 51 constituted by a boltsupported by the frame 10 and on which are screwed up nuts 52, 52a forholding the eyelet 50.

The rod 49, at the lower portion thereof, is provided with a spring 53retained by nuts 54 forming a stop.

Besides what has been described in the above disclosure, at least aresilient element 55, for example a spring, is placed into the blocks 16in the bottom of the housing 38 delimited by the frame 10 at the lowerportion of the groove, said spring tending consequently to push back thelower portion of the panel 17.

For positioning the panel 17, the finger or fingers 41 of the same haveonly to be engaged behind the stop 54, then the lower portion of thepanel must be pushed against the action of the spring 55 up to themoment when the panel is locked by the bolt 43 of the electromagnet 28a.In said position, the panel is firmly applied against the joint 24.

Although it has not been represented, it is obvious that the trap-doorcan be included into prefabricated elements made of masonry, plaster,etc.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown and describedin detail, for various modifications thereof can moreover be applied toit without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a building construction including a room wall having at least oneeduction passage provided with an aperture for communication betweensaid eduction passage and rooms of said building, the wall portiondefining the bottom portion of said aperture being downwardly slopedtowards the room, a trap door having the same shape as that of saidaperture and inserted therein and resting on said bottom portion forclosing the aperture, and locking means between said wall and said trapdoor and retaining said door in said aperture, whereby unlocking of saidlocking means causes said trap door to slide down by gravity along saiddownwardly sloped bottom portion to open said aperture.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the apertures are eachdelimited by a substantially rectangular metal frame having a downwardlydirected bottom flange while the top flange of said frame defines withthe bottom flange an upwardly directed angle, lateral flanges of saidframe converging towards the eduction passage.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the wall delimiting theaperture is separated from the trap-door by insulating blocks bearingagainst the tra door on the posterior side thereof.

4. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the insulating blocksare provided with a soft insulating joint which is supported by astainless and heatresisting strip surrounding it and which is supportedby the blocks.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the apertures areflanged by a deep rabbet.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the trap-door comprisesfacing plates made of insulating and heat resisting material andsurrounding a web.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the locking means areconstituted by at least one electro-magnet.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising means toprevent the trap door to fall down onto the floor of the room.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said means areconstituted by a retarding device connected between the trap door and tothe wall delimiting the aperture.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said means areconstituted by a stroke limiting device comprising rods placed on eachside of the trap door and pivotally mounted on spindles supported at theedge of the trap door and passing through brackets fixed on the side ofthe trap door and comprising damping means at the lower portion thereof.

11. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one resilientmeans is placed between the wall delimiting the aperture and the trapdoor at the base thereof, said resilient means tending to eject the trapdoor.

1. In a building construction including a room wall having at least oneeduction passage provided with an aperture for communication betweensaid eduction passage and rooms of said building, the wall portiondefining the bottom portion of said aperture being downwardly slopedtowards the room, a trap door having the same shape as that of saidaperture and inserted therein and resting on said bottom portion forclosing the aperture, and locking means between said wall and said trapdoor and retaining said door in said aperture, whereby unlocking of saidlocking means causes said trap door to slide down by gravity along saiddownwardly sloped bottom portion to open said aperture.
 2. Thearrangement according to claim 1, wherein the apertures are eachdelimited by a substantially rectangular metal frame having a downwardlydirected bottom flange while the top flange of said frame defines withthe bottom flange an upwardly directed angle, lateral flanges of saidframe converging towards the eduction passage.
 3. The arrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein the wall delimiting the aperture isseparated from the trap-door by insulating blocks bearing against thetrap door on the posterior side thereof.
 4. The arrangement according toclaim 3, wherein the insulating blocks are provided with a softinsulating joint which is supported by a stainless and heat-resistingstrip surrounding it and which is supported by the blocks.
 5. Thearrangement according to claim 1, wherein the apertures are flanged by adeep rabbet.
 6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein thetrap-door comprises facing plates made of insulating and heat resistingmaterial and surrounding a web.
 7. The arrangement according to claim 1,wherein the locking means are constituted by at least oneelectro-magnet.
 8. The arrangement according to claim 1, furthercomprising means to prevent the trap door to fall down onto the floor ofthe room.
 9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said meansare constituted by a retarding device connected between the trap doorand to the wall delimiting the aperture.
 10. The arrangement accordingto claim 9, wherein said means are constituted by a stroke limitingdevice comprising rods placed on each side of the trap door andpivotally mounteD on spindles supported at the edge of the trap door andpassing through brackets fixed on the side of the trap door andcomprising damping means at the lower portion thereof.
 11. Thearrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one resilient meansis placed between the wall delimiting the aperture and the trap door atthe base thereof, said resilient means tending to eject the trap door.